Smartstart with Bluetooth! ~ Remote start your ride with your smartphone.

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Smartstart is a technology created by DEI who is the manufacturer of well-known Viper, Python, Clifford, Sidewinder, Automate and Avital alarms and remote starts.  Basically, your smartphone, with an app of course, will be your remote to lock, unlock, remote start, trunk pop and panic.  There are many features for this product of which I have already blogged in Remote Start Smartly. Click this link: https://teamcaraudio.com/?p=470.  Please refer to that blog entry to get a better understanding before reading further.

Originally, Smartstart worked through cellular network towers and therefore a networking fee had to be paid to use this great technology and convenience.  Now, DEI has rolled out the Bluetooth version as another way to use your smartphone as your remote.

Smartstart with Bluetooth, VSM50BT, still gives your smartphone the ability to lock, unlock, remote start, trunk pop and panic.  It also does this without the networking fee since the cellular network towers aren’t doing the communicating.  All in all this is a much less expensive product.  What do you get with less expensive product?  Well mostly you get less product.  Which means you as the consumer will need to truly know both possibilities to decide which you should buy.

The Bluetooth version is similar in abilities as far as being a remote; however, since it is Bluetooth the range is limited.  With network towers you could be anywhere and lock and unlock your car as long as you had service.  With Bluetooth you are limited to the Bluetooth range.  DEI states up to 200 yards but as with any remote that is limited to your location and surroundings.

The Bluetooth version is a module that is installed with an alarm/remote start system that is compatible.  The Bluetooth module is synced with your phone and once the phone is within range the phone can then be used as the remote for the keyless, security and/or remote start.  It also works a little faster since again, it is not using the network towers to communicate.  We are talking the difference between choosing to lock and waiting an average of 15 seconds (as with the networking Smartstart) or choosing to lock and it happens almost immediately, like a regular remote.

The networking Smartstart allows a consumer to have one app that could control multiple vehicles with Smartstart.  You can simply go into the app’s menu, choose the vehicle you are accessing, and then that is the only one you lock, unlock and track until you change vehicles again.  You could also pass along your log in and password to your spouse or business partner and with the app also access the same vehicle or vehicles and access as needed.   This initial release only allows the Bluetooth version to operate one vehicle per app.  Not only that, but if you want your spouse to have access then you have to turn your Bluetooth access off while they are using it.  This is the current state of abilities, they will change with future updates.

Again, less expensive is less product and less convenience.  However, for many of you out there this may be all you need.  You may only have one vehicle or no spouse that commonly uses your vehicle.  You can always have an actual remote that will function with the alarm/remote start which would be used by the other individual.  It all depends on how you the consumer needs or wants to use the app functionality.  We love the immediacy of the Bluetooth version, however, Chris and I are always swapping vehicles or unlocking a vehicle for the other from a distance and therefore, the original networking version is our choice.  You can go to www.viper.com for a lot more information to help you decide or give us a call.

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